Educational Psychology Commons^™

Learning: It's Personal, Angela Atwell

Publications

If you have any questions about this presentation or would like a copy of the handout, please contact Angela Atwell. Her information can be found at the end of the presentation.

Contrary to popular belief, teaching and learning in an online environment is not easier or less work than a traditional classroom. It takes intentionality, discipline and commitment from both the instructor and the student. However, the flexibility offered by online programs makes this option increasingly appealing. With this growing demand, online instructors must think critically about the content, strategically plan activities and align outcomes with diverse student goals. All …

An Examination Of Accessible Hands-On Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence In One’S Capacity To Function In The Sciences, And Motivation And Interest In Scientific Studies And Careers., Mick D. Isaacson, Cary Supalo, Michelle Michaels, Alan Roth

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one’s capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the …

An Investigation Of Middle School Mentoring Relationships Through The Lens Of The Developmental Assets Framework, Christopher Thomas Reinsma

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

School-based mentoring is a popular but relatively unstudied support intervention for students entering middle school. Mentoring research more generally reveals that relationship quality between student and mentor is foundational for achieving positive student outcomes. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, the 20/20 Vision Project explored mentoring relationship quality and student outcomes for a group of 15 fifth and sixth grade students at an intermediate school in the upper Midwest. Students and mentors were matched in developmental relationships that focused on building developmental assets over the course of one school semester. Matched pairs met for 40 minutes, one time per week for …

The Moral Call To Learn: A Qualitative Investigation Of Encounters With Unfamiliarity In Everyday Life, Jonathan S. Spackman, Stephen C. Yanchar, Edwin E. Gantt

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative study explored the moral aspects of learners’ “encounters with unfamiliarity” in their everyday experiences. The encounter with unfamiliarity, as a basic phenomenon within the conceptual framework of embodied familiarization, was investigated using a multiple case study approach (Stake, 2006). Findings from this study are presented first as brief case narratives and second as themes based on a cross-case analysis. Themes of the study point to the nature and significance of the encounter as a part of learning, often as an invitation with a kind of moral significance that called participants to learn, or not learn, in particular ways. …

Studying Medicine With Dyslexia: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Sebastian C.K. Shaw, John L. Anderson, Alec J. Grant

The Qualitative Report

The topic of this article is the experience of the impact of dyslexia on medical studies, explored using a collaborative autoethnographic methodological approach. The study was prompted by an initial and ongoing full search of the literature, which revealed an absence of autoethnographic research into the experiences of medical students with dyslexia. It has four aims: to provide an in-depth, multi-layered account of the impact of dyslexia on a UK undergraduate medical student; to help other students and academic support staff in similar situations; to outline improvements that could be made to medical and other educational curricula and examination procedures, …

Ii International Colloquium On Languages, Cultures, Identity, In School And Society, International Colloquium

Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Languages, Cultures, Identity in School and Society

The influx of immigrants in countries worldwide, coupled with the challenges associated to the schooling of their children in host countries' schools, makes it more necessary than ever to broaden our knowledge of the linguistic, ethnic, and cultural realities derived from this phenomenon. This is the rationale for the present Colloquium, which revolves around the following topics:

• Individual, school, and societal bilingualism/multilingualism-related issues
• Multi/Transculturalism-related issues in families, schools, and society
• Impact of bi/multilingualism on individuals' and societies' language, culture, and identity
• Impact of multi/transculturalism on individuals' and societies' language, culture, and identity
• Language ideologies, policies, and practices
• Promotion, maintenance, and …

It’S All In The Heart: The Influence Of The Personal Values And Philosophies Of Administrators And Teachers On The Methodologies And Effectiveness 
Of Character Education, Rebecca Joy Foxworth

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis sought to determine the influence of educators’ personal values and philosophies on character education, particularly on methodologies and effectiveness. Research consisted of a two-part study of an elementary charter school. Part one of the study consisted of an interview with two administrators from the school, and part two of the study consisted of a survey sent out to the teachers of the school. Both the interview and survey sought to determine the values and philosophies of character education held by the educators, the methodologies the school uses for character education, and how the educators perceive the effectiveness of …

Warrior Health: A Study Of Female Veterans With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Who Engage In Outdoor Adventure Recreation, Julia Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to show the impact of outdoor adventure recreation on female veterans who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study followed a phenomenological approach in order to gain an overall view of what the veterans experienced, using observation and interviews in order to gather information. Conclusions showed female veterans desire female-veteran-only activities; desire relationships with fellow female veterans; and enjoy outdoor adventure recreation that includes teamwork, planned activities, and relaxation. In order to ensure the best possible avenue for PTSD health in female veterans, future research may include a focus on the impact of …

Exploring The Outdoors: A Multiple Case Study Examining Teacher Beliefs And Practices In Preschool Outdoor Play, Beverly Goodling

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to discover the beliefs and practices regarding preschool outdoor play for early care and education teachers at three diverse school locations. Each site, located in central Pennsylvania, represented a different playground environment: manufactured, natural, and a mixed environment. Using purposeful, maximum variation sampling, three teachers from each of the three centers were selected as participants, based on age, number of years teaching, and educational background. Data collection methods consisted of observations, using the Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale (DeBord, Hestenes, Moore, Cosco & McGinnis, 2005), semi-structured interviews and a document review to …

Self-Efficacy Score Differences Between First-Year, Male And Female First-Generation And Non-First-Generation College Students As Measured By The College Self-Efficacy Inventory (Csei), Janet Shepherd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students of all backgrounds have a transition period when entering college. However, first-time, first-generation college students encounter more problems and have more difficulties becoming acclimated to college resulting in decreased first-year retention rates for first-generation students. These problems and difficulties are related to course work, socialization, and roommate issues. Research has shown that self-efficacy and collective efficacy are important in student achievement. This research study explored if there was a difference in student perception of self-efficacy among male and female first-year, first-generation college students and male and female first-year, non-first-generation college students. A quantitative, causal-comparative study was conducted utilizing the …

The Influence Of Spousal Support On Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers' Pursuit Of A Bachelor's Degree: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Randy Croft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore perceptions of spousal support among active-duty Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officers (Senior NCOs) in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Senior NCOs are comprised of enlisted Airmen in the ranks of E-7 through E-9. Fourteen active-duty Air Force Senior NCOs, who have completed, or are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program completed an online survey and a personal interview regarding their perceptions of spousal support in their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. In addition, participants completed a written timeline, which helped provide context to college degree enrollment decisions and spousal …

Differences In Sense Of Community Between Students In A Middle School Virtual Class Versus A Traditional Class, Brandon Ratliff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the difference between students’ sense of community in the traditional classroom setting versus the virtual classroom setting with middle school–age students. McMillan and Chavis’s sense of community theory served as the theoretical foundation of the study. A quantitative, causal-comparative design was utilized to determine the effects of the variables. Students at a public middle school in Virginia and a virtual middle school in Tennessee participated in this study. Seventy-eight students participated from the public middle school that constituted the traditional setting, and 60 students participated from the virtual middle school that constituted the virtual setting. The students …

The Effect Of Elementary And Middle School Grade Span And Transition On Student Achievement And Graduation, Jeana Conley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social factors surrounding critical transition periods, school and class size, and grade configuration at the elementary level greatly impact current and future student performance. The expectation is that all of these factors are standard among schools, but in reality, every school is different; therefore, the potential for inconsistent quality of learning exists. This causal-comparative study explored the difference etween school size, grade span configuration, and transitions associated with a district’s seven elementary feeder schools in a small county in rural Western North Carolina. Differences in student performance, in both reading and math, at the elementary, middle, and high school level, …

Differences In Motivation And Game Scores Between Middle School Students Completing Digital Game-Based Learning Tasks With And Without Supports Of Autonomy And Structure, Joseph Harmon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of autonomy and structure support on intrinsic motivation (IM), the facilitators of IM, and game scores during digital game-based learning (DGBL) tasks. The sample included 222 students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classrooms. Three instruments from the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) were utilized during the study: (a) Perceived Choice; (b) Perceived Competence; and (c) Interest/Enjoyment. A quasi-experimental static-group comparison model research design was used to test the differences in perceived autonomy, perceived competence, interest/enjoyment, and game scores between four groups of middle school students completing online learning games in …

Incorporating Multicultural Education Into Teacher Preparation Programs, Ashley Renee Causey, Jeannie Haubert

The Winthrop McNair Research Bulletin

In this comparative study, the discussion of multicultural education focused on these four research questions: “What is multicultural education?,” “How are teaching preparation programs approaching multicultural education?,” “What does multicultural education look like in the classroom?,” and “Is multicultural education an explicit portion of teacher preparation programs for pre-service teachers in South Carolina?” Using James A. Banks’s five dimensions of multicultural education as the theoretical framework for the study, the following dimensions were explored to see if they were present within teacher preparation programs: content integration, knowledge construction, equity pedagogy, prejudice reduction, and empowering school culture and social structure. Interviews …

Repairing The Broken Mirror: Understanding Men's Muscularity-Focused Body Image Concerns Through The Lens Of Gender Role Conflict And Self-Compassion., Michael S. Butchko

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Psychological research pertaining to the study of men and masculinity has discerned that men are increasingly becoming dissatisfied with their bodies. However, men’s body image research has been neglected as researchers originally concluded that only women were impacted. However, the last 20 years has begun to elucidate factors and consequences of muscularity-focused body image dissatisfaction among men. Particularly, some men engage in dangerous behaviors (e.g., excessive exercise, dieting, steroid use) in order to obtain a body with large biceps, chiseled chest, and defined abdominal muscles. Also, more men are experiencing characteristics of muscle dysmorphia (MD), a subtype of body dysmorphic …

The Relationship Between Adolescents' Life Satisfaction And Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Analysis, Emily E. Esposito

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study aimed to replicate and extend recent research by Ng, Huebner, and Hills (2015) by investigating the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and academic achievement among adolescents. Specifically, students’ baseline (Time 1) life satisfaction was examined as a predictor of academic achievement (as measured by GPA, FCAT-reading DSS scores, attitudes toward school, and goal valuation) one year later (Time 2). The same four academic achievement variables at Time 1 were also examined as a predictor of life satisfaction one year later at Time 2. Positive affect and negative affect were examined as moderators of those relationships. An …

Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy, Elana R. Bernstein, Ray W. Christner

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

This handbook describes in detail different contemporary approaches to group work with children and adolescents. Further, this volume illustrates the application of these models to work with the youth of today, whether victims of trauma, adolescents struggling with LGBT issues, or youth with varying common diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorders, depression, and anxiety.

A Balancing Act: Integrating Evidence-Based Knowledge And Cultural Relevance In A Program Of Prevention Parenting Research With Latino/A Immigrants, José Rubén Parra-Cardona, Gabriela López-Zerón, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Ana Rocío Escobar-Chew, Michael R. Whitehead, Cris M. Sullivan, Guillermo Bernal

Psychology Faculty Publications

Family therapists have a unique opportunity to contribute toward the reduction of widespread mental health disparities impacting diverse populations by developing applied lines of research focused on cultural adaptation. For example, although evidence-based prevention parent training (PT) interventions have been found to be efficacious with various Euro-American populations, there is a pressing need to understand which specific components of PT interventions are perceived by ethnic minority parents as having the highest impact on their parenting practices. Equally important is to examine the perceived cultural relevance of adapted PT interventions. This qualitative investigation had the primary objective of comparing and contrasting …

The Shifting Wholeness Of Our Beings: Intersections Of Faith In Education: An Introduction, Anita L. Bright

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This is the introduction to a special edition of the Journal of Faith, Education, and Community which examines the ways membership in faith communities and spiritual belief systems play into our professional practices as educators and illuminates how the shifting wholeness of our beings can intersect with our work.